Jason closes his journal... Thanks!! I love you!!

[kcsunshine]

There was a very interesting article in one of the magazines I get about planting a living fence from osage orange seeds. It would take 4 or 5 years before it would keep anything in or out, but it was a beautiful fence. I'll try and find the mag. could probably find the article on-line.

 

[miss_thenorth]

http://www.motherearthnews.com/multimedia/image-gallery.aspx?id=2147490447&seq=0

 

[kcsunshine]

Yes! miss_thenorth, you rock.

Even my hubby was interested in that article and usually he just skims over things I like. Said he wished we had enough room to plant one.

 

[modern_pioneer]

That was a good read, and made points I hadn't thought about. My Grandpa made his hedge rows long ago, I don't know how long ago, but they re-seed themselves and draws in birds. I was going to plant mine on the property lines, but that's a whole different conversation.

For dinner last night we had trout ( that I caught ) bag frozen corn, pierogies (sp) and home baked bread. I got to thinking about things I have missed this past year like fishing.

Fishing..... I enjoy hunting, and at times like the time to myself. However we are creatures that need other people around us, not every one, but most folks. I can think of no better time to share with friends and family than fishing. I am a fishing nut, if you have gone fishing and haven't caught a fish, you will always catch one with me. I could be found on top of the water as the sun rises, fog coming off the water, and a wake coming from the sides of my boat.

There just a few stories to be told by me about fishing, one would be the time I was in Canada and hooked a 30 pound catfish that I never boated.

The second story would be the one I hooked in 1998 at Bethal lake. The one that got away, not before Chris tried to net it, and it hit its head on the side of the boat breaking my lure. I had placed a bunch of trash on top of the net, and chris couldn't get out quick enough to catch the huge bass. It was well over 8 pounds for sure and would have gotten me an award, I am sure of it.

Because I am sitting at home, nothing planned, waiting for the game to start in a few hours, I thought I'd share some fishing photos with you.

I like salt water fishing, but nothing like walking the dog on top of the water and hearing a pop sound as the bass takes in the lure. Then its GAME on!!!

top left to right and down...

Stripper, bass, bass, bass, mahi-mahi, barracuda, yellow fin tuna, black marlin, and a days fishing with George, Chris, Mark and Eric.

I think I have caught tens of thousands of fish, I keep catfish, crappie, yellow perch, stripper, and trout. I catch and release most fish, and use only fake lures, no live bait for me on fresh water. For catfish I use rotten chicken livers/gizzards.

In the first picture you can see the boat I once owned, I loved that boat. I re-built the inside myself with deck lights. I saved 11 months to buy it at 750.00 and got a deal on a small motor for it. I built a live well in it and it pumped fresh water in and out, solar operated battery chargers, and I lived in a apartment at the time.

I had to sell it..... SHeesh... that was hard on me....

My do want to go salmon fishing next season. But we'll see.....

GO STEELERS!!!!

 

[AL]

I love going fresh water fishing! I grew up on the rivers here in Florida - fishing from the boat or the bank it was all the same to me!
Lately I have only gone to stocked catfish ponds, but the one we go to belongs to a Mennonite farmer and the fish don't have the muddy bottom taste, the water is really clean.

Anyway - I wanted to ask you about your potato cages. I plan on putting some out on Feb 4 and I was wondering if the wire hardware cloth would work? It has much smaller holes, but it is what I have? I can buy chicken wire if that works better.

Thanks!

 

[modern_pioneer]

I love going fresh water fishing! I grew up on the rivers here in Florida - fishing from the boat or the bank it was all the same to me!
Lately I have only gone to stocked catfish ponds, but the one we go to belongs to a Mennonite farmer and the fish don't have the muddy bottom taste, the water is really clean.

Anyway - I wanted to ask you about your potato cages. I plan on putting some out on Feb 4 and I was wondering if the wire hardware cloth would work? It has much smaller holes, but it is what I have? I can buy chicken wire if that works better.

Thanks!

Sure, that would work..... I don't keep any pond catfish, but I do have the options of river fishing here. I enjoy night fishing on the Allegheny River, had a small camper down on lock 13 when I was a kid. Lots of silver and blue cats down there. I remember swimming and watching fish swim under us 10 or 15 feet below next to the bottom. My kids love swimming there as well.

 

[TanksHill]

Great looking fish Jay. You look like your having a great time in all the pictures!!!

As for Salmon fishing. We camped at a place just south of where the Klamath River meets the Pacific Ocean. A great Good Sam campground, nice folks. We even had a Black Bear visit. This is the only fish we caught. At the time my son was 7.



The called in a Springer, because it was early June. It weighed in just shy of 30lbs. I hope we can go back there some day.

g

 

[modern_pioneer]

Today would be Scotties 41 B-day, but he has paid the ultimate price for our freedom. He gave his life....

It was a fierce fire fight 21 Dec 1989 with the PDF in Panama, we were forward observation/listening post and first in contact with the enemy that night. We were leaping and bounding back to the front line when he was hit. The rounds were hitting all around us, and as I hit the front line, yelling dinckle berry as a call out password, he went down. The amount of small arms fire was unreal. Mansfield basically ran over top of me to pull Scottie across so we could return fire and get him help.

I can not tell you how scared I was that night, that moment. We began basic first aid while the rest of the line returned fire at the enemy, who retreated after the m-60 and 50 cal opened up. Later, in the wood line, we recovered 4 dead PDF sympathizers, all which were armed.

All my brothers in arms are equally important to me, but a few made a bigger influence in my life than others. Scottie would be the one comrade that I formed a brotherly love with. During a forced march, I had to carry his mortar base so that he could complete the march. We had done 24 miles in less than 7 hours, in full combat gear. There were dozens of times that he kept me running, he always pushed me to do better.

Scottie was a good friend to me, we always had each others back. I had done over a 100 jumps with him, and we even tried many times to steal each others air (while coming down in a parachute, you move under the person to make their chute collapse. this causes their chute to collapse, they slide down yours until theirs fill with air again.) I know crazy and wild we were back in the day when I was a warrior.

from left to right, Butler, Oswald, Scottie, and that would be me taking a knee. Butler would soon leave the Rangers to go to a new post in Korea. But I worked with the other two, after Scottie died, Oswald and I remand comrades for 2 more years.

Say a prayer for my brother Scottie today!!!

My service photo, still wet behind the ears....

This photo was taken by Oswald, we were building a fighting position together. This would part of our AIT (advanced individual training) the last 5 weeks of bootcamp.

I have some I took of what was the last true commie Russian army, but they haven't been located nor has the disk. Ten years ago, I put every photo I ever had on disc. With a few thousand disc, some of these surface from time to time.

I was 13y/o when this pic was taken, and was the first time I had seen my Dad since I was 5y/o. I spent Easter week down with him, later that year we lost the farm.

This photo was taken when I was a surfer boy w/ a mullet!!! Again even wetter behind the ears...

Pastor Dale Coffey, now he was a small man, and before he dunked me down, he said " Jason, your rather a big fellow and your going to have to help me get you back up " He said " I am nervous about this one ". As I walked down into the pool of water, he was getting set like a sumo wrestler. Without any problems, I was Baptized in the name of Jesus.

During my trip to New York City, I took many photos. One of which is the most beautiful woman in the world. Although her skin is green, she is always holding books in one hand and a torch in the other. She is of french decent and has a rather cold looking face as well. But she stands for freedom and opportunity, to many she was just a dream, to others she represented a great nation. I have always seen her as a representation of the possibilities that this great nation offers. She has stood fast during our moral and race issues within our own country. A land where there is free education, but is lacking proper direction today.

 

[dacjohns]

Thank you warrior.

I have way too many photos of my career to post here. Most of them are still on film, haven't been digitized yet.

The photo of you and your friends, right after AIT? You are all still slick sleeves.

During Panama I was with the 101st watching it all from a distance, we stayed home for that one. I did know some that fought with you. 82nd, stationed in Panama, and with the Rangers.

Loren Ramos was with the Rangers.

Once again, thank you.

 

[modern_pioneer]

We had a Ramos in 1st platoon, Arizona, Stood 5' 6" or so, shortish fellow. Black hair, either hispanic/mexican/rician decent. very stocky build?

Yup We later were attached to 505 MP unit, also watched as the seal team leave the tarmac of patilla airport, they had one seal member who had expired after being shot. Ran into some of the 82 boys at the Marriott hotel in down town. They ran into a little mess there, a sqad got split up and some were trapped in a stair well.

Later, in the early 1990, we were attached with a cia anti drug unit, it was rumored that the lead man was x delta, did green berets, ranger, and started from 101 eagles.... He was a dude that knew what he was doing, and I was happy to work for some one who knew what they were doing. I loved doing movement to contact with him, real balls to the wall kinda guy without being reckless. he was cocoa cook house hound dog, he even had those old laws rockets used in nam, purchased from the black market I am sure.

Though I was a slicker in the photo, I had my E-3 orders but didn't have time to sewn it on. It was issued by company XO and First Sargent 2 days prior to graduation. After jump school I became E-3 promotable while I was in my Ranger Unit, however I had to wait to get my E-4. I completed RIP week, and started working on the firing ranges as OPT Four until I became an E-4. Though today Ranger school is only 72 days now, it was 93 days.....

I was trained as a m-249/saw gunner, I was the light machine gunner for my squad. I also studied heavy weapons of Foreign Armies, alternative communications, I learned Gaelic as a third language, and Portuguese as a second language. I learned 2600 Gaelic words and 300 phrases. I also worked with Ret. Colonel Oliver North who was a firm but soft spoken man. He was at Benning to teach a week class on battle field strategies. I would have gotten his autograph if I knew one day he would be famous, awesome Marine....

ETA a comment....

95% of American drivers say "Oh Sh*t!" before driving their car into a ditch. The other 5% are rednecks and they say "Hold my beer and watch this sh*t!"